Total area:
240 km2
Land area:
240 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
120 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
edge of continental margin or minimum of 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Natural resources:
negligible
Land use:
arable land 4%; permanent crops 22%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 74%
Environment:
subject to typhoons from November to March
Note:
located 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean
:Cook Islands People
Population:
17,977 (July 1992), growth rate 0.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
22 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-10 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
25 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
69 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Cook Islander(s); adjective - Cook Islander
Ethnic divisions:
Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European 7.7%, Polynesian and
other 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%
Religions:
Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church
Languages:
English (official); Maori
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
5,810; agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, and
other 4% (1981)
Organized labor:
NA
:Cook Islands Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands fully
responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for
external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands
Capital:
Avarua
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965
and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral
action
Constitution:
4 August 1965
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 4 August
Executive branch:
British monarch, representative of the UK, representative of New Zealand,
prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament; note - the House of Arikis (chiefs) advises on
traditional matters, but has no legislative powers
Judicial branch:
High Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Representative of the UK Sir
Tangaroa TANGAROA (since NA); Representative of New Zealand Adrian SINCOCK
(since NA)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Geoffrey HENRY (since 1 February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister
Inatio AKARURU (since February 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY; Democratic Tumu Party, Vincent INGRAM;
Democratic Party, Terepai MAOATE; Cook Islands Labor Party, Rena JONASSEN;
Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka SADARAKA
Suffrage:
universal adult at age NA
Elections:
Parliament:
last held 19 January 1989 (next to be held by January 1994); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (24 total) Cook Islands Party 12,
Democratic Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic Party)
9, independent 1
Member of:
AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, IOC, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation:
none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
Flag:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large
circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the
outer half of the flag
:Cook Islands Economy
Overview:
Agriculture provides the economic base. The major export earners are fruit,
copra, and clothing. Manufacturing activities are limited to a
fruit-processing plant and several clothing factories. Economic development
is hindered by the isolation of the islands from foreign markets and a lack
of natural resources and good transportation links. A large trade deficit is
annually made up for by remittances from emigrants and from foreign aid.
Current economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential
and expanding the fishing industry.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.);
real growth rate 5.3% (1986-88 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exports:
$4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988)
commodities:
copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing
partners:
NZ 80%, Japan
Imports:
$38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988)
commodities:
foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber
partners:
NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
fruit processing, tourism
Agriculture:
export crops - copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas;
subsistence crops - yams, taro
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
$128 million
Currency:
New Zealand dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100
cents
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8502 (January 1992), 1.7266 (1991),
1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
:Cook Islands Communications
Highways:
187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved earth, 33 km
unimproved earth
Ports:
Avatiu
Merchant marine:
1 cargo ship (1,000 or over) totaling 1,464 GRT/2,181 DWT
Civil air:
no major transport aircraft
Airports:
6 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, no TV; 10,000 radio receivers; 2,052
telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
:Cook Islands Defense Forces